Overview
The Light is a 24-minute piece for two narrators and chamber orchestra by Mark Feezell. The narrators perform the roles of Moses and John in dialogue using public domain Bible translations.
This is my dissertation piece and represents years of work. I have come to realize it needs to be available freely to the world so that God can work through it. Therefore, I am releasing it fully into the public domain (including the rights to perform, make recordings, publish, and create derivative works) as of March 8, 2024. It is the Lord’s.
I believe the texts (which are also public domain, see Texts for The Light) could be used with other styles of music. The music probably could be realized well with digital audio libraries. I could see YouTube videos based on the piece (or the texts) as well. People with skills, equipment, and connections I don’t have could do amazing things with this.
Is the Lord calling you to play the next part in bringing The Light to life?
Plot Synopsis
The Light is a concert piece that relates a story. The work opens with the creation of light. In the second scene, God has already completed the creation of the earth. Placing Adam and Eve into the garden to tend it, he allows them to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent appears, and Adam and Eve succumb to his evil influence. As the scene closes, God banishes them from the Garden of Eden, and a sword blocks their return.
Many generations have passed when Scene Three begins. Moses relates a story from the time that Israel spent in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. The people had become frustrated with Moses and with God, and God sent serpents among them. After many of them died, they appealed to Moses to pray to the Lord on their behalf. God’s answer was for Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Whoever looked at the serpent would live. The music that follows this story of redemption in the wilderness initiates a transition to the fourth scene: John’s vision of ultimate redemption.
John speaks in Scene Four. New Jerusalem descends from heaven, with the River of Life and the Tree of Life ready to bring healing to the nations. Sadly, not all are welcomed to the city of John’s vision, and the drama pauses to give respectful consideration to their fate. Finally, the fifth scene celebrates the eternal victory over sin, death, and the serpent of Eden.
MP3 Sample Recording
These MP3 sample recordings are “MIDI realizations,” which of course means that some of the timbres are obnoxious (the pitched percussion sounds like alarm bells at times rather than beautiful marimba/xylophone tones, etc.). But any recording is better than nothing, so for now this will have to do.
The MP3s don’t include the narrators (I may try to add that later), so you’ll need to follow with the score (below) to imagine what John and Moses are saying.
If you make a live recording (or better MP3s) you’re willing to share here, please email “music” at this website. Naturally I’d love to know about performances also, but the music is public domain regardless.
Scenes 1 and 2:
Scenes 3 and 4:
Scene 5:
PDF Score and Parts
MusicXML Score File
PLEASE NOTE: When you import this into any music engraving software, it will not look great, but will save you TONS of time if you want to make derivative works, change the keys, edit the bowings, etc. Let me know if you want to share your new versions, and I can post them here for others. Contact me directly if you want the full Sibelius music file.
Download the MusicXML (.xml) score file.
Revision History
This is the first version and no revisions/updates have been posted yet.
music, classical, compositions by Mark Feezell
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